In data storage devices, a number of factors contribute to system delays in data access. In hard drive assemblies, for example, delays may be attributable to movement of the transducer head from one radial position to another, mode changes of solid state devices, fine position adjustments to ensure correct track alignment, re-loading of write current parameters to different pre-stored values, device-initiated calibrations, rotational latency (e.g., time spent “waiting” for a target data sector to rotate under the transducer head), etc. Due to various identifiable storage characteristics such as target storage location(s), read and write parameters associated with different locations, and data access rules, some types of data access operations may encounter delays that are more significant than others.